Hotels.com has been working with law enforcement to recover data with the names and credit card information of more than 200,000 customers.
The missing data, which could be a risk for credit card fraud, was not related to a hacker. Instead, a password-protected laptop belonging to an Ernst & Young auditor was taken in late February from a locked car.
There has yet to be any indication that any credit card numbers have been used fraudulently, said Paul Kranhold, a Hotels.com spokesman.
“It appears the laptop was not the target of the break-in,” he said.
Both Hotels.com and Ernst & Young have sent letters to hotel customers encouraging them to protect their personal information.
The transactions recorded on the laptop were mostly from 2004, though some were earlier.
Ernst & Young invited anyone affected by the theft to enroll in a free credit monitoring service offered by the auditor.
Report by David Wilkening
